Blind stitch play ball



G. S. LANNOM. JR

BLIND STITCH PLAY BALL Filed Oct. 16, 1955 Eign. 6.

J 5% INVENTOR.

BY" M ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 7, 1937 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE to The Grinnell, Iowa Lannom Manufacturing Company,

Application October 16, 1935, Serial No. 45,179

3 Claims.

.My invention relates to play balls such as base balls, indoor base balls, soft balls and the like and has for an object to provide a blind stitch play ball and the method of making the same.

A purpose of my invention is to provide a blind stitch play ball and a novel method of making the same, wherein the stitches which hold the cover members on the ball slug and secure them together are concealed from view and are protected from direct contact during the playing therewith.

A particular purpose of my invention is to provide a blind stitch play ball and the process by which it is made; wherein the base slug of the ball is prepared; the cover members out to the desired shape; the edges of the covers slit and sewed together on the slug so that the sewed edges will be concealed and protected.

I attain-the objects of my invention by the play ball and the method of making the same which is described in this specification, recited in the claims and is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which like reference numerals indicate like parts in the several figures.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a face View of a play ball illustrating the way the stitched edges of the cover members are sewed together with the concealing and protecting flaps rolled back and ready to be sealed down over the stitches.

Fig. 2 is a view of the ball disclosing the appearance of the blind stitched seam when the ball is finished.

Fig. 3 is the detail portion of the cover members disclosing the manner of sewing and concealing the cover members together when the stitch is covered by the upper flaps above the slit in the cover members.

Fig.4 is a detail disclosing the way the edge of the cover members are slit straight in from the edge.

Fig. 5 is a detail disclosing the way the edge of the cover members are slit at an angle with the surfaces thereof.

Fig. 6 is a detail illustrating the appearance of the slit in the cover members when it is out at an angle into the bottom surface thereof.

Fig. 7 is a detail illustrating one manner of cutting the adjacent edges of the cover members so as to permit one member to be notched near the edge and the other member to be notched and slit permitting the cover members thus to be sewed together and the stitches covered by but one flap member.

Fig. 8 is a detail of a portion of the cover members as they may be sewed together without slitting them with the stitched edges concealed and protected by a cover strip secured to the covers down over the stitched seam.

It is true that previous efforts have been made to produce a play ball that is made of a material that will stand the hard usage to which a play ball may be subjected; and experience has taught that by using certain methods of manufacturing such balls the material of which they may be made will be limited, thus affecting not only the cost of production but also determining, sometimes to an unfortunate extent, the durability of the material used in the making of these play balls. I Any ball of this type on the market must be depended upon to last a reasonable length of time and be pleasant to handle when in use.

When batting a ball Where stitches .are exs posed, the stitches are subjected to direct blows which may break, wear or weaken them and a practical means of concealing and protecting such stitches has long been the object of those wishing to provide a popular play ball on the market.

I am, therefore, familiar with some patented play balls on the market and also with some pat-' ented inventions which have blind stitch features that seem to have notreached the market; but in my blind stitch ball and process of making the same, I teach a novel method and a product that is economical and practical and I secure thereby a play ball that is durable, pleasant to handle, and its popularity is attested by its wide public acceptance.

In my blind stitch ball and method of producing it, I not only secure a play ball which, by its practical usage has stood the test of all that is desired for such a ball, but particularly the method by which it is produced makes it especially attractive to the manufacturer for its simplicity, economy and convenience in handling through the factory operations; thus making this an attractive article to manufacture.

Various tests have shown that play balls made by my blind stitch process are satisfactory when any practical combination of a number of desirable materials are used in their making; but I am attempting to use the most satisfactory materials available for this purpose with the thought that when using my process of manufacture on materials that are the best for reasons that have shown up by tests, then I can be confident that my blind stitch ball will meet every need and desire that may be demanded of play balls on the market.

Thus, for this reason, I prefer to mention certain materials that may go into my play ball as I describe the process by which it is made.

For instance, in the base or slug portion of my blind stitch ball, I can use a number of materials in various combinations with good results; but for the sake of explanation of my process and the resulting product as described in this specification, I prefer to use in the slug which I describe, a product of manufacture developed from a process which is the subject matterof a patent application recently filed and assigned to the assignee of this application. In this ball therefore, I prefer to use in the slug portion a kapok base which has been alternately dipped in latex and Wound with strata of yarn to let the latex impregnate the yarn and kapok and the slug is then subjected to heat to vulcanize the latex and thus define a rubber shell on the slug forming a consolidated mass with the strata of yarn and extending into the kapok base. I prefer this type of ball slug to others I have tried and yet I shall not limit my slug or process to this construction.

When this slug is finished it is ready for any kind of a cover while in my blind stitch ball the cover members are cut out of leather or other suitable material and cut preferably in the shape of an 8 so that they may fit together snugly when they are secured to the slug.

After thus cutting the cover members preferably out of leather, of a good grade, these covers are then slit deeply into the edges, either with the slit straight into the edge or with the same cut at an angle with the leather surfaces; or such a slit may be cut up into the bottom surface of the cover members running parallel with the edges and only a small space from the same.

It will be noted, for instance, in Figure 8 that within the scope of my invention the cover members are shown with their adjacent edges sewed together without the edges slit but with the stitches covered with a concealing and protect ing strip.

It is further obvious that within the scope of my invention the slits as shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6 may be cut into the edges of the cover members at any suitable angle; while there may be cccasions when it would be desired to prepare the adjacent edges of the cover members in the manner illustrated in Fig. '7.

However, the detailed operations preferred in my novel process of manufacturing my novel blind stitch ball are as follows:

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3. I first slit the edges of cover members I and 2 preferably as illustrated in Fig. 4 so as to provide in the cover member respectively lower stitching members 3 and 6 and an upper sealing and protecting flap 4 and 5.

When the ball slug is ready for the cover members l and 2 they are applied to the slug in their fitting relation so that their adjacent edges are approximately abutting. The lower stitching edges 3 and B are then sewed together after a slit 8 is cut into the edge of each cover member and the top concealing and protecting flaps 4 and 5 respectively are rolled or laid back out of the way of the stitching operation which sews edges 3 and 6 together with stitches l.

After these adjacent edges of the cover members are thus sewed together, I prefer to apply a coat of latex 9 over the stitches and sewed edges so as to conceal and protect the same.

My next operation is to subjec the ball thus covered to an application of heat so as to vu1- canize the coat 9 of latex with any suitable vulcanizing agency and thus securely seal down over the stitches I the concealing and protecting flaps 4 and 5.

When thus completed the ball is ready for the color coatings if desired and ready for use as a play ball.

It is obvious that when cover members I and 2 are not slit in their adjacent edges the concealing and protecting strip l0 may be used; while if these cover members are prepared as shown in Fig. 7 where but one flap I l is used then cover member I for instance may have a notch l2 and cover member 2 provided with a slit l3 after it has also been notched on the opposite side. These cover members may then be sewed together by stitches I4 and then a coat of latex applied over the same after which flap II may be rolled down over the latex coat and heat then applied to vulcanize the latex and then seal down flap l I to conceal and to protect the stitches holding the cover members together. This arrangement, however, may not he often desired as a means of securing cover members I and 2 together, although it does fall within the scope of my process of manufacturing a blind stitched play ball.

I prefer to use the process of manufacture of my invention as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 because of certain advantages gained in the manufacturing operations and finished product.

It will therefore be obvious that when I manufacture a blind stitch ball with the cover members thus sewed together and the stitch thus covered and protected, I accomplish a very satisfactory result even when using any one of a number of suitable ball slugs to put the cover on; but when I use in this process a ball slug having a kapok base, alternately coated with latex and wrapped in strata of yarn so that the latex may penetrate the yarn and kapok, with the slug then subjected to heat to vulcanize the latex coats thereon into a consolidated mass with the yarn strata with the cover members I and 2 then secured to the slug; I thus am able to provide by my novel process of manufacturing a blind stitch ball, a product which has been proven by tests to possess the qualities which meet every demand that is needed and desired in a play ball.

In this application it will be understood that the word slug as used in connection with this product and the method of making the same refers to the base or inside nucleus or body portion of the ball on which the cover is to be sewed.

Having thus described my process of manufacturing blind stitch play balls and the novel product derived therefrom, what I claim is:

1. A blind stitch play ball consisting of a ball slug of relatively tough base material, a cover therefor cut into the form of two 8 shaped leather cover members; said cover members each having adjacent edges slit with the edge portions below the slits stitched together, a coat of latex vulcanized over said stitches and the edge portions of said cover members above the slits scaled down over the stitches to conceal and protect the same.

2. A blind stitch play ball comprising a play ball slug of kapok, a cover therefor made of two 8 shaped leather members; said members fitted together on the slug and having their edges slit to provide an inner and an outer flap means for each member; said inner members sewed together, a coat of latex vulcanized over the stitched edges, and said outer flap members of said cover edges sealed down over the stitches to conceal and protect the stitched cover edges.

3. A blind stitch play ball comprising an inner ball slug of relatively compact, durable and tough material, the leather cover therefor formed of two 8 shaped leather members fitted together over said slug and having their adjacent edges substantially slit to a relatively deep extent back from the contacting surfaces thereof on a plane 10 approximately parallel with the top and bottom 

